Although it happens before the season officially begins, training camp is a crucial part of each WNBA season, and this year is no different. In fact, this is possibly even more true for the Golden State Valkyries, as the new team on the block has a lot to prove and only a handful of days before the hit the court for their first preseason game against the Los Angeles Sparks.
The Valkyries have been sharing clips from training camp on social media, though perhaps not quite as much as other teams. That makes sense; for starters, not every member of the squad has made it to training camp yet, and the team might also want to take their time putting too much out there, especially when so many people seem to have the odds stacked against them.
What we have seen indicates the Valkyries have truly put together a fun and engaged squad — a real bunch of "killers," as Kate Martin told ESPN this week. She added, "We want to be gritty, we want to be relentless. We want to be the ones diving on the floor for loose balls. We went to be the ones getting stops, we want to be playing together and work our tails off."
With all that in mind, there are three things to pay attention to this week as the Valkyries move closer to finalizing the team's roster for the first time.
The Valkyries vets will make an impact
The Valkyries have an interesting mix of several European pros and seasoned WNBA veterans. It's unclear if rookies Kaitlyn Chen and Shyanne Sellers will make the cut, and Martin is in her second year in the league.
Kayla Thornton and Tiffany Hayes have more than two decades of combined experience, something that should be a major asset for the team. Thornton, who is fresh off a WNBA championship win with the Liberty last year, knows what it takes to get a team from start to the finish line and can share that knowledge with the team's less experienced players.
Hayes has already spoken about enjoying the opportunity to shape the culture of the team in the Bay Area, something that a lot of WNBA stars don't get to do.
The Valkyries are guard-heavy
Golden State does have one area of concern that will need to be addressed: the team has a lot of guards who each have various strengths and weaknesses, and it's not entirely clear if the Valkyries will have room on the roster for everyone.
Some of the players might simply stay overseas this season after training camp concludes, which buys them and the team a little more time. But those who remain will have to show that they bring more than just offensive prowess to the table: Coach Nakase has made it clear she wants defenders, too.